Four outdated Florida A&M dormitories are the foundation to President Elmira Mangum’s vision of transforming the campus into a modern living and learning center for students.

A part of the long-term master plan, the facility upgrades are anchored by a Center for Access and Student Services that would house admissions, financial aid and other offices. Other buildings would be transformed into modern housing for students.

And, since the property is located on the eastern edge of campus, the plan also would be designed to create a new entrance to the university and enhance the city’s south side. It would complement future plans by the city of Tallahassee in targeting the South Adams/Monroe streets corridor.

The broader goal for this plan is to make FAMU more competitive by attracting students who are considering other state universities offering modern housing features. It goes along with the perception that students who live on campus are more likely to remain enrolled and graduate within four years.

“This is all in the conceptual stage only,” said Sameer Kapileshwari, FAMU’s assistant vice president for facilities, planning, construction and safety. “The goal is to maintain the historical nature of the campus but at the same time, create a 21st century living and learning environment.”

This spring, the Legislature approved $6.1 million to be used for planning and design of the student center. That’s a start but the big challenge is creating a long-term plan that would be attractive to a private developer who would be interested in teaming with FAMU to get the facilities built.

This is part of the private-public partnership initiative (with accompanying new guidelines) that has been endorsed by the Board of Governors and is being used by other state universities.

There also has been discussion about a major reconstruction of Bragg Stadium, but that is not being proposed in the student center-dorm-retail component since the Legislature would have to approve including an athletic facility in a public-private partnership.

“It is imperative that we make improvements to that (eastern) area of the university,” said FAMU vice president for communication Jimmy Miller. He noted that the development of Gaines Street and the work being done on FAMU Way also are beneficial to the university.

The targeted area for improvements is currently home to McGuin Hall, which opened in 1938, Diamond and Cropper Halls (1947), Wheatley Hall (1953) and Truth Hall (1958).

All of the dorms, with the exception of Truth Hall, have been closed since the university opened the new 800-bed FAMU Village on the western side of campus last fall.

According to a plan presented last week to the university’s Board of Trustees:

•The first phase would involve converting Diamond and McGuinn halls into the 72,000-square-foot Center for Access and Student Services.

It would include offices of recruiting, admissions, financial aid, and the Student Success Center.

“That will be Phase 1; that’s the one that furthest along (in planning),” said Dale Cassidy, vice president of finance and administration.

•The second phase would include 1,400 beds of new student housing, health clinic, parking, administrative and retail by converting Cropper, Wheatley, Truth and the Jackson-Davis buildings.

“It’s not clear if we can get 1,400 beds there,” Cassidy said. “We would want to have as many of the 1,400 beds as possible close to the CASS building. Part of the president’s vision is to have dorms with living and learning communities built into them.”

This phase also could include an Honors College concept for students earning that academic achievement.

•The third phase would be a continuation of the second phase, with a focus on parking, commercial and retail space.

“We’re not sure where that would be built,” Cassidy said, indicating that it could be in the area of MLK Boulevard.

According to FAMU, the university now has 2,382 beds available on campus of which 1,398 are designated as “marketable,” which means they offer the amenities that are available in the open market.

But with an estimated combination of 2,775 freshmen and sophomores, there is a need for 1,377 beds or student units that are up to today’s standards.

FAMU planners say this is important to their goal of housing more students on campus while they are enrolled in FAMU. The goal is to create a campus environment where students live, study and have access to lifestyle needs within one contained space.

Cassidy said the goal is to get 30 to 40 percent of its undergraduate students living on campus. At Harvard, for instance, 99 percent of undergrads live on campus.

A critical part of this is the Student Success Center, Cassidy said.

“The one-stop shopping for students has been the goal for the past 10 years,” he said. “Instead of going one place for financial aid, another place for other services, have it all in one place.”

Actual enrollment for the fall has yet to be established, but enrollment at FAMU stands about 10,000. Miller said the plan to recreate the campus into one that offers modern housing and close amenities is not necessarily tied to boosting enrollment.

“The president is not focusing on size and growth. She is focusing on quality,” he said. “If we improve our quality, they will come.”

Partnership is critical to plan

Miller said the $6.1 million will go toward planning and other studies that are included in the pre-development stage. The next step is to identify a private partner who would be interested in the complete project.

The university could start that search in August and expect to get responses by September. At that point, the administration would come back to the Board of Trustees with that information. Steps beyond that include presenting the plan to the Board of Governors and the Legislature.

In addition, FAMU will be seeking an additional $30 million from the Legislature toward the student services building, he said.

“It can’t be built at once,” Miller said. “A partner will help us refine our concept and determine what is feasible, what you can borrow. All of those things have to be worked out.

“It has to be a public, private partnership,” he said. “We can’t raise $238 million (the estimated total cost of construction, including a potential new football stadium complex), and the state doesn’t have the money to loan us.”

The private partner would develop, build and manage the expansion — and, expect to make a profit for that investment.

“The proof will be in the pudding,” Miller said, “If we get responses from qualified developers who can get this money together and get a return (on their investment).”